Burial casket bed



Nov. 7; 1933- A. G. HARMS BURIAL GASKET BED 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 24 n M w Nov. 7, 1933. A HARMS mama@ BURIAL GASKET BED Filed April24, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheer?l 2 @y man Nw, 'L 1933. A. G. yHARA/as BURIALGASKET BED Filed April 24. 1930 5 Sheets-Shes?,

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Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNTE@ @STATES cerrar orner;

8 Claims.

My invention relates broadly to burial caskets and has to do moreparticularly with a new and improved adjustable bed for use in a burialcasket which is designed to support a human body and present it for viewin an attractive manner, so that the body may appear to be in a naturalposition of comfortable repose.

The invention disclosed herein is in the nature of an improvement overmy devices described and claimed in Patents Nos. 1,300,'?93 and1,331,108, granted April 14, 1931, and November 10, 1931, respectively.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedcasket bed bottom having simple, convenient, inexpensive, and eflicientmeans for adjusting the saine about a transverse axis, whereby a bodymay be raised for viewing.

Another object is to provide, in combination with the means justreferred to, a simple and eilicient means for canting the bed bottom toone side in order to present the body in a more natural position.

One of the problems of an undertaker is to present a body having aphysical deformity, such as unsymmetrical hips, spinal curvature,pathologic growths, etc., in such a manner as to appear natural, normal,and in an attitude of comfortable repose.

A further object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a casket bedhaving a spring bottom which may be adjusted to take care of suchdeformed bodies, so that an enlarged hip or the like may be loweredbelow the plane of the rest of the body.

A particular feature of my invention whereby the lastementioned objectis accomplished comprises a bed bottom having a transverse row of coilsprings, these springs being readily and easily removed by hand, so thatan undetaker may remove one or more of the coilsin order that anenlargedor abnormal portion of the body may be depressed below the plane of theremainder of the body.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skledin the art as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming part of this vspeciiication andillustrating certain preferred embodiments of my invention: y

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a device embodying myinvention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the Figure 3 is a transverse sectionalView taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

enlarged scale showing certain improved features of my invention;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines5-5, 6-6, and 7 7, respectively, of Figure 4; 69

Figure 3 is a fragmentary` transverse sectional View showing the springconstruction in detail;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 ofFigure 8;

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view through y an end of a casketand showing in elevation a modiiied form of adjusting mechanism for thecasket bed;

Figure 11 is an elevational view of the same taken from the right ofFigure 10; 79

Figure 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of a casket and bed embodyingthe modification of Figures 10 and 11.

Referring, nrst, to Figures 1 to 9, inclusive, the numeral 10 representsgenerally a casket which may be of a standard or other suitable type.

Arranged within the casket by means presently to be described is a bedbottom comprising a frame 15. This frame is preferably of metal and maybe of channelf-shaped section or of other suitable design. As shown bestin Figure 1, the sides of this frame are preferably bent intermediatethe ends thereof, as at 16, this bend being disposed nearer the head endthan the foot end of the frame. A plurality of longitudinal slats 18 areconnected to the frame, as by means of helical springs 19, so astorprovide a spring bed bottom. These slats are maintained in spacedrelation to each other by means of transverse spacing strips 21, whichmay be secured, as by welding, rivets, or the like, to the end slats 18or to the frame 15.

The frame 15 is pivotally mounted in the casket by the following means:Arranged in the bottom of the casket is a pair oi longitudinal brackets23, 23', to which the sides of the frame 15 are pivotally secured, as at25 (Figure 4). The brackets 23, 23 are preferably angular cross section,as shown best in Figure 5, and may be secured to the bottom wall of thecasket, as by means of screws 26, or the like.

Extending between the angle members 23 and 23 and secured thereto, as bymeans of screws and nuts 23, is a bar or strap 30 which extendstransversely of the casket about midway of the length thereof. As bestshown in Figure `8, this bar is provided with a plurality of raisedcrimps 32 which are adapted to seat coil springs 33. These springs arepreferably frusto-conical in TAso ` bracket 23.

their general contour, the lower and smaller portion of each springterminating in a substantially diametrical hook 34 which is adapted tosnap under and seat in one of the crimped portions 32 of the bar 30. Theadvantage of this form of engagement of the springs with the bar is thatthe springs may be readily disengaged and removed, if desired, so as topermit depressing any enlarged or deformed portion of a body below thegeneral level of the bed bottom. The uppermost turn of the coil springsis preferably knotted to the spring and abuts against the slats 18 ofthe bed bottom, as best shown in Figures 4 and 8, and it will be notedthat a transverse spacing strip 21 is also disposed above the springs.

Extending through the angular brackets 23 and 23', at a point spacedfrom the pivots 25 (Figure 4) is a shaft 35, which, as shown in thedrawings, may be of square section, although it will be apparent that Ido not consider myself restricted to such a shape. This shaft carriessuitable bearing members 36 which are rotatably journaled in thebrackets 23 and 23. Adjacent the bracket 23, this shaft is secured toand pivots a bell crank lever 38. One arm 38'LL of this bell .crankis'provided with a plurality of apertures 39 whereby a link 4o may beconnected to the bell crank at one end thereof and at the other endpivoted to the frame 15. The other arm 38b of the bell crank lever islongitudinally slotted as at 41 and has secured thereto at a pointspaced above the slot 41 a pin 42 which projects laterally from bothsides of the lever arm. Disposed over this arm of the bell crank leveris a tubular member 43, closed at its upper end as by a screw cap 43 andhaving a diametrical pin 44 secured therein adjacent the lower portionthereof. The tubular member 43 is retained von the bell crank lever bymeans of a helical compression spring 45, this spring being retainedother end by means of the pin 44, so that the eiect of the spring is tourge the tubular member downwardly toward a' notched arcuate sector 46which is preferably formed integrally with the The tubular member 43 isslotted on one side adjacent its lower edge, as at 49, so as to clearthe rack 46, the opposite unslotted portion engaging the notches of therack. At-

tached to the rod at the side opposite the bell crank lever, as shownbest in Figure 1, is a lever 48 which is preferably provided with aplurality of apertures, in one of which is pivotally secured a link 49,this link being pivoted at its other end to the frame l5.

.tubular member 43 is then permitted to move `downwardly and becomeengaged in one of the teeth of the arcuate -ember 46. 'After thecompletion of the funeral ceremony, when it is desired to close thecasket, the bell crank lever is rotated in a counter-clockwise directionso as to lower the upper portion of the bed bottom to a positionsubstantiallyv as shown in Figure 1.

t will be apparent that the bell crank lever When itis desired to may beadjusted relative to the bed bottom by means of the plurality ofapertures provided in the bell crank arm 38a and also in the link 40,and that the lever 48 may also be properly adjusted by means o theplurality of apertures provided therein.

Reierring now to Figures 10 to 12, inclusive, there is shown hereanother embodiment of my invention comprising a bed bottom such asdescribed above, having in combination means whereby it may be rockedabout a transverse axis and may also be canted toward one side. In theseiigures, the numeral 1)a represents a casket provided with a bed bottoml5a which may be substantially similar to that previously described, ormay be of any other suitable type, and is pivoted about a transverseaxis (not shown).

Preferably secured to the bottom wall of the casket 1()CL adjacent thehead end thereof is an adjusting device indicated generally at 6G. Thisadjusting mechanism comprises a bracket 62, which, as best shown inFigure l0, is substantially triangular in shape and is flanged overadjacent the bottom thereof to form a foot 63 which is secured to thebottom wall of the casket, as by means of screws 64 or the like.Preferably formed integrally with the bracket is an arcuate rack 65, thelower portion of which is notched as at 66. Pivoted to the bracket, asat 68, is a bell crank lever 69, one leg 692t of which is slottedadjacent its free extremity, as at '70, to receive the head of a screw71. This screw is preferably secured to a pair or plates '72 and 72',which are secured together as by means of a head screw 73 and an eyescrew 74. These plates are adapted to slide longitudinally of anelongated substantially vertical slot 75 provided in the bracket 62.

The eye '74 embraces a screw 83, being seated in a peripheral grooveformed on the screw, and

this screw is threaded through an angular lug 85 which is pivoted to thebed frame as at 86. While the frame 15@L is shown as being formed of anangular member, it will be obvious that this frame, if desired, may beformed of a channel- Y shaped section, or of any other suitable shape.VV12() The screw '73 also serves pivotally to connect a lug 88 to theframe 15a.

In the operation of the device of Figures 10, 11 and l2, should it bedesired to rock the bed A bottom about its transverse axis, the tubularhead end of the bed bottom for viewing purposes. l

It will be apparent that such a motion will raise the plates 72 and 72which slide alongV theslot 75 of the bracket 62 and transmit theelevating motion to the frame 15au through the lug 88 and screw 83. Whenit is desired to lower the head end of the bed bottom, the bell crank isrotated counter-clockwise (Figure 1U).

Should it be desired to cant the bed bottom about a longitudinal axis,this may be accomplished by rotating the screw 83, this screw beingprovided with a diametrical slot at its upper end for seating a screwdriver or like tool. The eiect is to warp or twist the bed bottom, sothat the head end may be canted toward the viewing side.

vVarious modifications and improvements comingwithin the spirit of myinvention will doubtless occur to those skilled in the art. Hence, I donot wish to be limited to the specic embodiments disclosed or usesmentioned, except as set4 forth `in the appended claims, which are to begiven as broad an interpretation as the state of the art permits.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a burial casket, a bed bottom comprising a frame,a plurality of coil springs for supporting a body, and means formounting said coil springs including a strap having crimps therein, anda hook formed on said springs by bending an end portion thereof wherebythe latter may be readily disengaged from the strap.

2. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted Within said casket on a transverse axis, means for adjustingsaid bed bottom about said axis, and independently operable means forcanting said bed bottom toward a side thereof.

3. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted Within said casket on a transverse axis, and means for adjustingsaid bed bottom about said axis comprising a lever and verticallyslidable means connecting said lever to said bed bottom adjacent one endthereof.

4. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted within said casket on a transverse axis, and means for adjustingsaid bed bottom about said axis comprising a lever, and means connectingsaid lever to said bed bottom adjacent one end thereof comprising avertical link and a diagonal strut.

5. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted within said casket on a transverse axis, and means for adjustingsaid bed bottom about said axis comprising a lever, means connectingsaid lever to said bed bottom adjacent one end thereof comprising a pairof vertically movable links, one of said links having a screw-threadedconnection for canting said bed bottom toward one side.

6. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted within said casket on a transverse axis, and means for adjustingsaid bed bottom about said axis comprising a lever, means connectingsaid lever to said bed bottom adjacent one end thereof comprising a linkand a diagonal strut, said strut having a screw-threaded connection forcanting said bed bottom toward one side.

7. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted within said casket on a transverse axis, means adjacent one endof said casket for adjusting said bed bottom about said axis, saidadjusting means including a lever and means for transmitting motion fromsaid lever to said bed bottom including a member operative to cant saidbed bottom toward one side thereof.

8. In a device of the class described, a casket, a bed bottom pivotallymounted Within said casket on a transverse axis, and means for adjustingsaid bed bottom about said axis comprising a lever and verticallyslidable means connecting said lever to said bed bottom.

ALBERT G. HARMS.

